The Real Madrid under-19’s strolled past Marseille on Tuesday in first knock-out fixture of the second phase of the UEFA Youth League. Eight (!) Castilla players started the match, with one more coming in from the bench – providing a clear indication of how seriously the club are taking the tournament this year. They won the game 5-2, with goals from Castilla players Thiago Pitarch and Daniel Yáñez either side of an own goal – before Beto and Adrián Pérez finished off the French youth team.
Today,
it was determined that Real Madrid will face Chelsea for the upcoming round of 16. Cheslea are the second must successful club since the creation of the tournament, and it appears that Real Madrid intend to climb the ranks to join them. Bitter rivals Barcelona lead the way, with three titles. Real Madrid’s solitary Youth League win came under Raúl González in 2020. Juvenil A, under new management with Álvaro López after the departure of Xabi Alonso triggered the promotions of both Alvaro Arbeloa and Julián López, have the benefit of dragging players down from a “senior” professional side. How far this may take them, remains to be seen.
